


Beautiful Boy

by parttimehuman



Series: Rarepair Galore [20]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cuddles, Fluff, M/M, Nolan has a bad day, That's it, Theo is there for him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 16:55:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18945046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parttimehuman/pseuds/parttimehuman
Summary: Some people's cuddles can make everything better.





	Beautiful Boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ExtraSteps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/gifts).



"Noooooley!" Liam shouts through the entire apartment for the fifth time in a row although he knows exactly that his roommate is currently on the couch in the living room. There's no need to disturb the neighbors this way, but Liam doesn't seem to understand that.

 

Nolan's head hurts. He decided not to answer the first four of Liam's attempts to make him do something, and now he's deciding to pull the blanket he's got over his head and pretend like he died beneath it until Liam leaves. He loves the guy, he really does, or else he wouldn't be living with him, but on bad days, Liam can be a lot. So full of energy, so enthusiastic about so many things Nolan isn't even thinking about at the moment.

 

"Dude, what the hell?"

 

Great, now Liam's standing directly above him, stealing Nolan's only defense against the world that's out to get him by pulling away the blanket. The look on his face is expectant of an apology and demanding Nolan to move. Nolan thinks that he can pretty much fuck off.

 

"Why aren't you dressed, man?" Liam wants to know. "You didn't even shower today, did you? How many times did I tell you that we have to get going? The boys are waiting for us. I hear someone's bringing beer, Noley."

 

Nolan sighs and tries to reclaim the blanket because he's freezing. The stupid beer can suck his ass today.

 

"I'm not coming," he mutters.

 

"Why?"

 

Nolan doesn't know how to explain it. If he's being honest with himself, he doesn't really know what's wrong with him either, just that there's no way to drag his tired body off of the couch and out of the apartment. Just like he loves Liam, he loves the other boys too, some of them maybe even more. He's grateful they adopted him into their friend group although he used to be an ass to Liam in high school, although he isn't as smart as Mason or as kind as Corey. He doesn't look irresistible like Brett and he doesn't exude endless confidence like Garrett. He isn't like Theo either, more a god than a human person. On most days, Nolan doesn't doubt his role in their group, but today he doesn't want to hang out with all of them and constantly be thinking about it.

 

"Come on, Liam, just go alone, okay?"

 

"The others are going to ask where you are though," Liam points out. Why does he have to be so stubborn?

 

"I'm not feeling well," Nolan says. He isn't sick or anything, but it feels like an excuse that's legitimate. He can't exactly cancel plans because his brain feels exhausted for no reason whatsoever.

 

Liam doesn't look so impressed.

 

"I look like shit, okay? I look like shit and I feel even worse and I can't go today. Can that please be enough for you to leave me alone?"

 

Now he's looking up at Liam and pleading with him. There's worry in Liam's eyes, but Nolan doesn't need that, he only needs peace and quiet. He wants to sleep. It's late in the afternoon but he wants to sleep until the next morning. Beer can't tempt him, and neither can pizza. Liam doesn't have a good enough argument to make him get up.

 

"Fine," Liam finally gives in, handing Nolan his blanket back. "But you promise to call if there's anything you need. I don't feel so good about you being all on your own."

 

"I'm not a kid, Liam."

 

"Just promise, alright?"

 

"Promise," Nolan mumbles. He's definitely not planning on calling anyone, but Liam doesn't have to know that.

 

If a bit reluctantly, Liam leaves him alone in the end. A sigh of relief escapes his lips as he hears the door clicking shut. The apartment is silent now and Nolan can turn around with the blanket tightly wrapped around him without anybody witnessing all the things he isn't doing although it's way too early to sleep. He doesn't feel good about it, but less guilty at least. It's enough to allow him to close his eyes and eventually fall into some sort of slumber.

 

Nolan is half awake when a baby starts crying outside of the living room window and he's half awake when his phone pings with a message, but neither of those things really draw his attention. Time passes by but doesn't affect him. He doesn't know whether it's been twenty minutes or five hours, just that his limbs are heavy and it's still not enough to feel rested.

 

He registers a soft clicking sound but doesn't know whether it's real or in his dream, then a rustling, gentle taps on the floor, but it's far away from Nolan and not important enough to force his eyes to open.

 

Nolan still isn't sure whether he's dreaming or not when a warm hand touches his cheek and fingers push the hair out of his face. There's a presence that he is clearly feeling though, something big and strong and warm like sunshine, something he wants to get closer to.

 

Nolan's blanket is lifted and suddenly he has a shoulder to lean on, arms holding him, breaths coming against his temple. Nolan still isn't fully awake, and he still isn't ready to open his eyes or talk, but he doesn't need to.

 

He knows this can only be one person. It's not like it makes sense that he would show up in Nolan's and Liam's apartment. It's not like they've ever done this before. Still, only one person can see right inside him with just one look. Only one person knows the right way to be there for him. Only one person gets what he feels like and what he needs to feel better.

 

It should make Nolan heart beat so much faster. After months of stolen glances and secret crushing on the other boy it should drive him wild to be this close to him. He should be freaking out and blushing and nervously bite his lips like he does so often. What's happening now is not that kind of thing though.

 

Instead, Nolan's cold body slowly warms and he melts into the strong arms around him. Two grown men lying on the couch somehow isn't uncomfortable, on the contrary, Nolan doesn't want to sleep any other way from this day forward. For god knows how long, no words are spoken. Nolan says thank you, I needed that by pressing his face against Theo's neck. Theo says I'm here for you with his lips pressed against Nolan's forehead.

 

Nolan wakes up before dawn. It takes a second to remember why Theo is lying half on top of him. Now Nolan gets to be the one to watch Theo's peacefully relaxed face, to comb through his hair with his fingers and pull the blanket up over his body. With a smile on his lips that feels unfamiliar but so, so good, Nolan gets up, leaving Theo with enough space to stretch out.

 

First, he takes a shower. The water is cold as it hits his back and shoulders for the first time, but maybe he needs that. Nolan dries his hair with a towel and puts on fresh clothes. The old ones he puts straight into the washing machine along with everything he picked up from the floor in his bedroom.

 

The sun is rising as Nolan returns to the living room, shedding a soft, golden light on Theo sleeping on the couch. For a few minutes, he gets caught up in staring, eyes tracking every single one of the lines that draw Theo's face. How does he deserve this?

 

Before Theo can wake up and see him being a creep, Nolan decides to make coffee. He cleans up some dishes stacked on top of each other in the sink, then opens the fridge to see what breakfast he can offer Theo. They've got eggs and milk, and even though they've got toast as well, Nolan feels like he'd rather make pancakes this morning. Theo is going to love them.

 

After the first coffee, Nolan feels like he's alive again. While he's making the last couple of pancakes, he's whistling stupid little melodies. He's almost done when Theo once again finds him. This time, it's definitely not a dream, and that's the best part of it. There's Theo's chest against Nolan's back and a heart beating inside it. There are Theo's arms wrapping around him from behind and Theo's chin resting on his shoulder. There's breath against his neck and a quick, chaste kiss. There's Theo's voice, sleepy and a little hoarse and to die for.

 

"Hey, beautiful boy," Theo says.

 

Nolan doesn't know how to thank him. He feels better now, but Theo came to see him because he thought Nolan was a beautiful boy even then, even when he was too depressed to do more than sleep. He turns off the stove and turns around, searching for Theo's eyes.

 

"You didn't have to do that," Nolan whispers.

 

Theo raises his hands and cups Nolan's face. "Nonsense," he whispers back. "I feel like it was about time I did."

 

"How did you even know?"

 

"Liam said something weird," Theo explains. "I wasn't really sure what was going on, but I wasn't going to waste any more time not being right there with you."

 

Nolan wraps his arms around Theo's neck and pulls him in for the longest, tightest hug that their kitchen has ever seen. He doesn't exactly have the words to talk about this. He can't explain why he was the way he was last night. He can't describe what Theo's presence did to him, how it healed him silently and softly. He can't say how badly he wishes for Theo to stay around. He doesn't need to though. He's got arms to hold Theo close with and lips to kiss him with.

 

With words or without them, Theo hears him loud and clear.


End file.
